By RFIPissed 01-01-2019Modified on 01-01-2019 at 00:37
Niger's Defense Minister, Kalla Moutari, traveled to Maradi, in the south of the country, near the Nigerian border, on Monday (December 31st) to witness the burial of five soldiers. These soldiers along with five Nigerian soldiers were killed on Saturday on the Nigerian side of the border during a joint operation against armed men described by the Niger authorities as "a group of bandits infiltrated by fundamentalists".
According to the Nigerian Defense Minister, the area where the soldiers were killed, that of Doubouroum in the Nigerian state of Zamfara bordering with Niger, is " infested with bandits ".
" These cattle thieves have started the business of hijacking people on both sides of the border for ransom, " says Kalla Moutari. He said: " A mixed patrol tried to free hostages held in a base camp of these bandits. During a first clash, the patrol neutralized ten armed men. But the soldiers were then ambushed by heavily armed attackers . "
It was during this second clash that five Nigerian soldiers and five Nigerian soldiers were killed and others wounded. Sweeps are underway, says the minister, and investigations have been launched to clarify the profile of the attackers.
" Faced with the means they have deployed, we suspect that the bandits are infiltrated by fundamentalists, not Boko Haram fighters who are not the area, but rather men from Mali or Libya, " says Kalla Moutari. A meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 1, in Maradi , Niger to strengthen security cooperation between Niamey and Abuja in this border area.
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